Know how these women of Telangana set up agri business by taking advantage of PMFME scheme

PMFME Scheme | In areas where there is no cultivation throughout the year, farmers also have to engage in non-agricultural activities for livelihood. Antargaon in Jagtial district of Telangana is one such village where there is no cultivation throughout the year. In such a situation, the women here are busy in non-agricultural work. To increase the income, many women jointly started their venture under the brand Spoorthy Food Products.  

Common Initiative of Self Help Group Members 

All these women are members of different self-help groups. The people of this village mainly depend on agriculture for their livelihood. However, women members of the Self Help Groups were engaged in off-season non-agricultural activities such as basket making, collecting wood for fuel, and sewing, in addition to farming.  

Main crops

Turmeric, sesame, groundnut, paddy, chilli etc. are mainly grown in the area. The women members of the Self Help Groups took their enterprise forward by taking CIF loans, SHG bank linkage loans and Srinidhi loans.  

How to start business? 

IKP/DRDA staff and ICICI Foundation jointly organized the program on local ingredients available in the village like turmeric, chilli powder and value addition products like groundnut and sesame cold press/wood press oil. These products helped the farmers to get additional income. After participating in this program, the women members of the Self Help Groups came up with the idea of ​​setting up an enterprise.

Spoorthy Food Products was established on 5 February 2021. The venture manufactures products under the brand name ‘Sahaja’, which includes turmeric powder, chili powder, sesame oil, groundnut oil. There were some problems in the beginning. Many challenges were faced like packaging of products, branding, shortage of raw materials and non-availability of bank loan immediately.

Financial aid received 

Women members got seed capital assistance of Rs 2 lakh under Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME) scheme to pursue their business. With the loan amount, women bought turmeric powder making machine and digital weighing machine. With this help, it was easy for them to pursue their work.

Use of social media for marketing 

Spoorthy Food Products markets its products in many public events. Their products are also available at many wholesale and retail outlets. Apart from this, products are also sold through Rural Mart of Jagtial district.

They exhibit their products in various district fairs like Saras Mela, NABARD Fairs, All India Industrial Exhibitions, Handlooms and Handicrafts. For marketing, they are using social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. These women aim to expand their work to other districts and take their products to supermarkets. The turnover of Spoorthy Food Products in 2020-21 was around Rs 3 lakh.